# DianHua Dictionary

> Chinese English dictionary app with study tools for iOS. (iPhone/iPad app by JSQ, LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dianhua-dictionary/id288580473 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [JSQ, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/288580476)
- Category: Reference, Travel
- Price: Free
- Rating: 3.90/5 from 8 App Store ratings · 153 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 8.0 · 118 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2019-02-13
- Data updated: 2026-07-03
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dianhua-dictionary/id288580473/reviews.md

## What is DianHua Dictionary?

DianHua Dictionary is a Chinese English dictionary for iOS.  Using data from the CC-CEDICT project, DianHua Dictionary provides search support for English, Mandarin Pinyin (with or without tones), Traditional Characters, Simplified Characters, and mixed searches consisting of any combination of the above.

Other features of DianHua Dictionary include:

- Search History:  All search terms entered into the Search field are stored in your Search History.  Touch any term in the list to see the results.

- Bookmarks:  Arrange all of the words you are studying into a nested hierarchy of Folders.

- Writing Practice:  Under the Study tab, you can practice typing or writing characters using any of the iPhone's Simplified or Traditional keyboards, including the character drawing keyboards.  Choose whether you want to see Pinyin and/or English for the prompt and draw or type the appropriate Chinese character into the box provided.

- Flashcards:  Select any combination of Traditional, Simplified, English, and Pinyin for the Front and Back of the cards and grade your confidence in your answer.  If you choose to use the Difficulty sorting algorithm, more difficult words will be shown more often than words you tend to answer correctly.

- Numbers:  Convert numeric entries to Simplified and/or Traditional variants including their Banking equivalents.  Touch the audio icon to hear arbitrary numbers spoken.

- DianHuaDictionary.com: Search from your browser, sync between multiple devices, export, and import data.

## Key features

- Multi-language search (English, Pinyin, Traditional/Simplified Chinese)
- Search history
- Bookmark organization
- Character writing practice
- Customizable flashcards
- Number conversion and audio pronunciation
- Browser sync and data export/import

## What do users think of DianHua Dictionary?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Excellent dictionary app
- 🚀 Fast and easy to use
- 💡 Handwriting recognition feature
- 🚀 Comprehensive vocabulary coverage
- 👍 Helpful for learning Chinese
- 👍 Great for traveling in China

**Cons**

- 🐛 Crashes after recent update
- 🐛 Reversed labels for simplified and traditional characters
- 🐛 Slow search response times
- 🐛 Incomplete or outdated vocabulary
- 🔒 Requires account registration

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Search function freezes
- Incorrect character display
- Inability to search large numbers

**Most requested features**

- Add audio pronunciations
- Improve handwriting recognition accuracy
- Implement bookmarking and word lists
- Add stroke order animations
- Optimize for iPad display

## Recent user reviews (10 of 153)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dianhua-dictionary/id288580473/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Never go away

*2025-03-01, version 4.0.6*

Been using since came out as well. Just me and you Scott. Ima wa? Is the comparable Japanese version and I’d be devastated if either went away.

### 5/5 — The best!

*2021-02-12, version 4.0.6*

Okay, the only.  But still the one I have been using since it went online!  There is nothing like it anywhere, and it's free!  My only fear is that it will go away soon as there appears to be only two of us using it.

### 5/5 — Stopped working on my phone

*2020-12-05, version 4.0.6*

Love this app! No longer opens upon (or shortly after) installing iOS 14. Please fix!

### 1/5 — Not updating

*2020-11-30, version 4.0.6*

DianHua audio doesn’t work. Please update

### 5/5 — Awesome app!

*2015-04-05, version 4.0.5*

This app has taken my learning of Chinese to a whole new level. I have been using it in conjunction with Google Translate for a free audio workaround, but I have been so happy with the free Dian Hua app I just gladly paid for the full audio version. Thank you for making and supporting such a fantastic tool!

### 5/5 — Fast, simple, and now modern!

*2014-10-12, version 4.0.5*

This is my go to Chinese dictionary and has been for years. Search is always good no matter which input, and references are clear. Offline functionality is key, means it works while traveling.  

New update gives it iOS 7 and 8 compatibility plus support for both iPhone 5 and 6 screen sizes. Very glad to see it updated, was starting to think I'd need another app, but didn't want to switch, too used to DianHua. Thanks for the hard work!

### 4/5 — Writing characters

*2014-07-12, version 4.0.4*

I have been using Dian Hua for several years, and I find it very useful, especially during trips to China.  Lately I am having difficulties in practicing writing over the characters outline. The frame slides or the stroke doesn't appear over the hanzi. Am I doing something wrong?

### 5/5 — Excellent App

*2014-07-06, version 4.0.1*

Brilliant app that helps me learn Chinese characters, the pinyin & the correct strokes for the characters!

### 5/5 — Excellent dictionary

*2014-03-31, version 4.0.4*

This dictionary has been a real help to my studies. I've been using it to help my Chinese reading since I got my iPhone. With multiple look up its great for English to Chinese and Chinese to English it is very easy to use. In Beijing I used it to decipher museum signs in Chinese and even to get my husband antibiotics at the pharmacy. I can't recommend this highly enough.

### 5/5 — Great

*2014-03-29, version 4.0.4*

Great app! Helps me find Chinese characters.

## Frequently asked questions about DianHua Dictionary

### What does DianHua Dictionary do?

DianHua Dictionary is a Chinese-English dictionary application for iOS devices. It allows users to search for words and phrases using English, Mandarin Pinyin (with or without tones), Traditional Characters, Simplified Characters, or a combination of these. It also provides various study tools to aid in learning the Chinese language.

### What are the key features of DianHua Dictionary?

Key features include advanced search options, a search history log, bookmark organization into folders, character writing practice, customizable flashcards with difficulty sorting, and number conversion with audio pronunciation. It also offers browser syncing and data import/export capabilities.

### Is DianHua Dictionary free to use?

Based on the provided information, DianHua Dictionary is available for free. There are no mentions of in-app purchases or advertisements, suggesting it is a free application.

### What devices is DianHua Dictionary compatible with?

The application is designed for iOS devices. Users can also access its search functionality from their browser via DianHuaDictionary.com, which allows for syncing data between multiple devices.

### How can DianHua Dictionary help me learn Chinese?

The app supports language learning through its comprehensive dictionary, search history for reviewing terms, bookmarking for organizing study material, and interactive features like character writing practice and customizable flashcards. The difficulty sorting algorithm in flashcards helps focus on challenging vocabulary.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 4.0.6 — 2019-02-13

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

iOS 11 compatibility

### 4.0.5 — 2014-10-12

- Better iOS 7 compatibility
- iOS 8 compatibility
- iPhone 6 compatibility
- Negative number bug fixed
- Improved Flashcard layout for larger devices

### 4.0.4 — 2014-03-28

- Fixed issues with repeated requests for login.
- Adjusted behavior of the Spaced Repetition Algorithm.
- Added a Reset Study Data button in Settings.
- Corrected a display issue in Bookmark editing.
- Improved error handling.

### 4.0.1 — 2013-07-23

- Fixed problems upgrading user data
- Added better error handling for upgrades
- Fixed a minor issue with the user data Reset function
- Fixed the launch crash

### 4.0.0 — 2013-07-18

- iPad support 
- iPhone 5 support 
- Retina display support 
- Updated CC-CEDICT 
- More accurate search results 
- Faster, automatic sync 
- Spaced repetition study algorithm 
- Custom Bookmark entries 
- Variety of bug fixes

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-03.*